Pesa extends support to Zarb-e-Azb

RAWALPINDI - Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association (PESA) extended his full support to operation Zarb-e-Azb and prayed for its success and early return of peace to Pakistan. It is unfortunate that the prolonged peace talks did not succeed. It is also surprising that during the entire process of talks, Maulvi Fazallulah, leader of TTP, never himself said anything about peace nor did TTP put forward any of their main demands for ending their war against Pakistan. All they asked for has been for ceasefire and release of their prisoners.This was observed in a meeting of the PESA on Wednesday, presided over by Lt Gen (Retd) Ali Kuli Khan, while Vice Admiral (Retd) Ahmad Tasnim, Lt Gen (Retd) Naeem Akbar, Air Marshal (Retd) Masood Akhtar, Brig (Retd) Mian Muhammad Mahmud, Brig (Retd) Masudul Hassan and others were also present on the occasion.The former military strategists found it encouraging that all major political parties have declared their support for operation Zarb-e-Azb. The PESA expects that TTP will realise that it was neither proper nor easy to force their interpretation of Sharia on 200 million people with power of weapons of destruction. The PESA hopes that sanity prevails and TTP gives up fighting and returns to a life of peace without any more bloodshed.The brute and inhuman force used against workers of Pakistan Awami Tehrik at Lahore on June 17 was something never seen in Pakistan. Old men were being thrashed by police even after being hauled up and pushed in police vehicles. The most agonising scene was dragging a wounded unconscious man on ground with his head down. “We can find no words that can aptly condemn such barbarous acts.” The participants of the meeting said.The claim of the chief minister Punjab that he was unaware of the deadly use of force and that he is not responsible is very difficult to accept, they said.Members of PESA expect that the displaced persons of North Waziristan will be looked after properly. On its part, PESA has started a special fund to provide relief goods for the affected people. It expects to dispatch first consignment by Saturday.